2017's Most Beautiful Women : Fabulous at Forty & Fifty

As promised, we continue our series on 2017’s Most Beautiful Women with our picks for women who are fierce in their fifties and fabulous in their forties. For starters, we join People in recognizing Julia Roberts. Since she walked into our lives with her dazzling smile and heart-grabbing laugh in Pretty Woman we have been big fans. But when it comes to turn-your-head, take-your-breath-away, inspirational beauty, she has lots of company.

2017’s Most Beautiful Women- Middle Age Beauties

FIERCE AT FIFTY

Youthfulness is about how you live, not when you were born. ~ Karl Lagerfield

They say that fifty is the new thirty and this group of women certainly proves that to be true. In fact, as you’ll see, it was hard to narrow down our selections in this age group because there are just so many incredibly gorgeous women proving that fifty is fierce. The years have given them the self-awareness, confidence and experience that only serves to magnify their beauty. And, you have to admit, they are all sexy as hell. Good work, bad work, no work….who cares? If life really begins at fifty, these ladies have a leading edge right out of the starting block.

MICHELLE PFEIFFER

A young Michelle Pfeiffer

Michelle Pfeiffer in the 1993 movie “The Age of Innocence”

Michelle Pfeiffer 2017 World’s Most Beautiful Women from 1997

Michelle Pfeiffer on the cover of Interview Magazine April 2017

CINDY CRAWFORD

Cindy Crawford was one of the most popular models due in part to her legendary Super Bowl Pepsi commercial

Cindy Crawford’s 1988 Oscar de la Renta ad

Cindy Crawford in Harper’s Bazaar Germany

Cindy Crawford Sizzles in Body-Hugging Sheer-Paneled Gown for 2016 Met Gala

SHARON STONE

Sharon Stone – 1980

The world wants to know Sharon’s secret to youth

There’s nothing “BASIC” about Sharon Stone

Sharon Stone 2017 World’s Most Beautiful Women

SELMA HAYAK

A young Salma Hayek 2017 World’s Most Beautiful Women

Salma Hayek’s style is envied by women everywhere

Salma Hayek Elle Mexico-September 2014

LINDA EVANGELISTA

Linda Evangelista famously said “We don’t wake up for less than $10,000 a day.”

Linda Evangelista 2017 World’s Most Beautiful Women

Linda Evangelista still steams up the red carpet with her sultry good looks

HALLE BERRY

Halle Berry in 1986 at the Miss World pageant

Actors Pierce Brosnan and Halle Berry unveil the James Bond “Die Another Day” in New York City. November 5, 2002. Photo by Evan Agostini/ImageDirect.

Halle Berry 2006

Halle Berry 2017 Instagram photo

BROOKE SHIELDS

Brooke Shields’s iconic 1980 Calvin Klein Ad

Brooke Shields was instantly recognizable for her alarmingly captivating looks

29 Oct 2014, New York City, New York Brooke Shields at the Elton John AIDS Foundation’s 13th Annual An Enduring Vision Benefit.**Image by © Splash News/Corbis

Fifty-on year old actress Brooke Shields attends the Valentino Pre-Fall 2017 runway show dinner at One If By Land, Two If By Sea on January 11, 2017 in New York City.

KATHY IRELAND

June 1983 cover with Kathy Ireland as a teenager

Ireland was the cover model for the first time on the 25th Anniversary Swimsuit Edition, which became SI ‘s best selling swimsuit issue to date

Kathy Ireland for American Legend

Today Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Model Kathy Ireland has created a formidable empire worth more than $350 Million

MONICA BELLUCI

Monica Bellucci, here aged 18,

Monica Bellucci 2010

Monica Bellucci 2017 World’s Most Beautiful Women

Monica Bellucci inside Tatler magazine Russia

ELIZABETH HURLEY

Elizabeth Hurley early modelling days

Elizabeth Hurley 2017 World’s Most Beautiful Women

Elizabeth Hurley looks fabulous at 51 as she shows off her beach body in a blue bikini

CAROL ALT

Carol Alt 1982 Photoshoot

Carol Alt – SI Swimsuit 50th Anniversary Party – February 2014

Carol Alt at the NYFW Fall 2017 Shows

VANESSA WILLIAMS

Vanessa Williams was crowned Miss America In 1983

Vanessa Williams is known for being both sexy and sophisticated

Vanessa Williams at 50 in 2013

Vanessa Williams during the Pamella Roland NYFW Show February 2017

ELLE MACPHERSON

ELLE MACPHERSON was know as the body

ELLE MACPHERSON 2017 World’s Most Beautiful Women

ELLE MACPHERSON’s effortless airport style was on display earlier this year

FABULOUS AT FORTY

“Oh, my God, my thirties blew. Forties are great.” – Jennifer Aniston

We’ve always felt it was nature’s cruel trick that men reach their sexual peak in their twenties while women reach that peak in their forties. Or is it?? The decade of their forties is when women really have it all….and deserve to have it all. They have reached the point where they are comfortable in their own skin. They have accumulated a healthy dose of wisdom. They sill have the energy, the physical stamina and are generally in pretty darn good shape. They have acquired their own sense of style and the confidence that goes with it. There’s no need to freeze your age admissions at “39+” anymore. These women prove that women can be absolutely fabulous a forty. So take pride and own it ladies!

NICOLE KIDMAN

Nicole Kidman 1983

Nicole Kidman 2017 World’s Most Beautiful Women

Nicole Kidman still takes fashion risks and shows that she’s got a playful side to her as well.

Nicole Kidman is quiet and reserved but exudes complexity and elegance

CHARLIZE THERON

Charlize Theron was a regal South African glamazon who took Hollywood by storm in the mid 90s

Charlize Theron 2008

She became the statuesque golden girl of the “J’adore Dior” fragrance campaign

Sequined stunner: Charlize Theron wowed in a sequined black gown at charity event earlier this year

CHRISTY TURLINGTON

PENELOPE CRUZ

J LO

Jennifer Lopez was a regular on the hit 1990s show In Living Color as a Fly Girl

Casual or in full glam Jennifer Lopez’s style is the stuff dreams are made of

JLO on the go

Showing no sign of slowing down Jennifer Lopez is going full throttle with a Las Vegas residency, numerous movies, new music and hosting gigs

QUEEN LATIFAH

Coming from an amazing background championing the seldom heard female voice in Hip Hop, Queen Latifah is one of the respected founding voice of early rap

Queen Latifah sings “America the Beautiful” before the NFL Super Bowl XLVIII football game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Denver Broncos Sunday, Feb. 2, 2014, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Queen Latifah has branched out and created an empire and has achieved global success on film, the talk show circuit and other avenues

Queen Latifah, SAG Awards 2016

GABRIELLE UNION

Gabrielle Union as Isis in the 2000 teenage cult classic “Bring It On”

Gabrielle Union People magazine photoshoot from 2015

Gabrielle Union leaving “Good Morning America” on January 2017

KATE BECKINSALE

Kate Beckinsale 1993

Kate Beckinsale looking extremely sexy in a Flaunt Magazine spread in November 2011

KATE BECKINSALE Arrives at Late Show with Stephen Colbert January 2017

HEIDI KLUM

Heidi Klum featured in the 1998 Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition at the start of her modelling career

Heidi Klum walking in the 2001 Victoria Secret Fashion Show wearing this madly expensive fantasy set. The Heavenly Star Bra and Panties, sparked in 1200 Sri Lankan pink sapphires. The bra was decorated with a 90-carat emerald-cut diamond on its bridge. WOW!

Golden Globes 2017: Heidi Klum walks the red carpet

JULIE CHEN

Julie Chen then and now. The host revealed in 2013 on The Talk that she underwent plastic surgery to tweak her look

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – JANUARY 30: (L-R) TV personality Julie Chen and CEO of CBS Corporation Leslie Moonves smile during the 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards – Salute To Icons Honoring Doug Morris held at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 30, 2010 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images for NARAS)